One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo is an easy vegan side dish {if you leave out the feta cheese} that comes together in under 30 minutes. This dish is comforting, creamy and pairs nicely as a side dish or a base for adding grilled chicken, sausage, chickpeas or seafood.
ONE POT CREAMY TOMATO HERB ORZO
Orzo is one of my favorite pastas to use in soups, sides and summer salads.
If you enjoy orzo today’s One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo is a recipe you are going to like.
This dish is really simple to make and you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.
It also doesn’t use a lot of complicated ingredients. We are keeping things simple, which I love.
This dish is vegan {unless of course you add some feta or parmesan cheese for garnish}.
If you enjoy Greek food this is similar to Kritharaki which is basically a tomato orzo dish.
It is creamy and oh, so comforting. I could eat this all day long.
A nice thing about this One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo is that you can add a variety of proteins to it to bulk up the dish. Some ideas are grilled meats, seafood, chickpeas or white beans.
If you want to use this as a side dish it works great alongside dishes like this Chicken Shawarma or these Shish Taouk Chicken Thighs.
I have been kind of obsessing over Greek food lately.
I think it is because Mike and I are headed there in month and a half and I have been doing research on restaurants and things to do and have been inspired by their food.
Here are some ways you can modify this One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo:
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You can feel free to add whatever spices and herbs you like. Sometimes I like it a bit spicy so I will add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper.
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Feel free to get creative with the garnishes. For example, sometimes I add kalamata olives.
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If you like your orzo extra cheesy stir in 1/4 of parmesan cheese at the end of cooking.
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Another great addition to this dish is spinach or kale-stir it in at the end of cooking and let it wilt.
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You can also bulk up this dish by adding chickpeas or white beans, grilled meats or seafood.
One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo
One Pot Creamy Tomato Herb Orzo is an easy side dish that comes together in under 20 minutes. This dish is comforting, creamy and pairs nicely as a side dish or a base for adding grilled chicken, sausage, chickpeas or seafood.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a small sweet onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley {or 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped}
- 1 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 - 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes {you can use crushed or whole}
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup orzo
- 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
Garnish:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Feta cheese
Instructions
In a medium pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the oregano, parsley, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour the water in and add the orzo and give it a good stir. Add a dash of salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes {or following the cook time on the package of orzo}. Remove the lid, add the lemon juice and let it continue to simmer for 2 more minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings including salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and feta cheese.
Notes
This recipe works great as a side dish but also as a base for adding grilled meats, chickpeas or seafood.
You can feel free to add whatever spices and herbs you like. Sometimes I like it a bit spicy so I will add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper.
Feel free to get creative with the garnishes. For example, sometimes I like to add kalamata olives.
If you like your orzo extra cheesy stir in 1/4 of parmesan cheese at the end of cooking.
Another great addition to this dish is spinach or kale-stir it in at the end of cooking and let it wilt.
